Christian tradition has grouped together from all four Gospels the seven last words
spoken by Jesus. They can assist us in our reflection on the fifth sorrowful mystery,
the death of Our Lord.
As Monsignor Philip Whitmore tells us . "...there's
a remarkable work by Joseph Haydn which is inspired by them ..this unusual work was
commissioned by a canon of Cadiz who wanted it for a liturgical ceremony in the Cathedral.
The bishop was going to preach on each of the seven words one after another. At the
end of each sermon, he would prostrate himself before the altar while the orchestra
played Haydn's musical meditation . Holy Week in Cadiz in 1787 must have been one
to remember ..." Part of a series of programmes focusing on the Mysteries of the
Rosary produced by Veronica Scarisbrick.